1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a bumper for protecting a column or a corner.
2. Description of Related Art
Bumpers to protect poles and columns, as well as the objects hitting them, are well-known in the art. U.S. Pat. No. 3,782,724, issued on Jan. 1, 1974 to Joel Rottman et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 4,244,156, issued on Jan. 13, 1981 to Ridley Watts, Jr., teach the use of foam material for energy absorption. U.S. Pat. No. 3,661,359, issued on May 9, 1972 to Brooks Walker, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,022,452, issued on May 10, 1977 to Herman Dupre, teach automobile tires for absorbing impact. However, these tires are not rotatably mounted.
The bumper systems taught in U.S. Pat. No. 3,991,582, issued on Nov. 16, 1976 to Tom Waldrop et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 4,378,749, issued on Apr. 5, 1983 to Raymond Leblanc et al., use a plurality of rotatably mounted bumpers attached to a frame. However, the frame is not adjustable in that bumpers cannot be easily added or removed. Further, there is no adjustment means which allows the components of the frame to separate for easily positioning the bumper system on a column.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.
The instant invention is a bumper and supporting frame assembly for protecting a column or a corner, or any object which may come in contact with the column or corner. The invention includes tires having hubs or wheels rotatably mounted on a sleeve, i.e. a hollow tube. A pair of frames for mounting around a column, one above the tires and the other below the tires, support the tires in their position as bumpers to protect the column.
The frames have tubular protrusions, e.g. pipes, extending towards one another and telescopically engaged. The sleeve is rotatably mounted on the pipes. Energy from an object which strikes the column is dissipated by this rotation of the sleeve relative to the pipes, as well as the rotation of the tires relative to the sleeve.
The nature of this system, i.e. the rotational dissipation of energy, allows for work to continue uninterrupted due to a glancing blow from an object, e.g. a vehicle, to a column. The absorption of energy is a less destructive manner than other methods, e.g. crumple zones. Further, the rotation of the tires of the bumper system depends on the manner in which the bumper is hit, and the tires rotate such that the object continues in its original direction.
Each frame includes two portions, which are removably attached to one another, allowing for the easy adjustment of the frames along a column. The adjustment of both frames allows for the height of the bumper to be varied on the column. The adjustment of one frame and the slidable relationship of the pipes, allows for a variation of the distance between frames and a corresponding change in the number of tires. These adjustments may be needed depending on the type of equipment used around the column, e.g. a taller vehicle, or any other reason.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a bumper that is effective in protecting columns.
It is another object of the invention to provide a system which absorbs the energy rotationally.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a system that can be easily detached, moved, or adjusted.
It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof in an apparatus for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.
These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.